Review: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Title:  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Author:  Seth Grahame-Smith and Jane Austen

Genre:  Adult

Publisher:  Quirk Classics

Format:  Kindle e-book (self-purchased)

Release Date:  May 2009

The peaceful English village of Meryton, home of Elizabeth Bennet and family, is facing a zombie menace of epic proportions. But that is a menace Elizabeth has been trained to overcome. Until the supposedly haughty and arrogant Mr. Darcy arrives and distracts her from her duties as a protector of her beloved England. What follows is a hilarious tongue-in-cheek retelling of a beloved classic.

I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies; it was a fun and interesting read.  The one word that comes to mind when describing this book is quirky. It is definitely much racier than the original book.  I finally had to pull my copy of Pride and Prejudice out, dust it off and use is it for comparison.  For instance in chapter 17, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are discussing balls—the dancing kind. Which you would never guess from was the topic of conversation: “On the contrary, I find that balls are much more enjoyable when they cease to remain private.” Like I said, racier than the original.  It’s funny how dropping just one little word like “an” can completely change the meaning of a sentence. Trust me, it does.

Overall, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is a good read, especially if you can handle the gory descriptions of zombies eating brains and cannibalizing dead bodies. That was a little gross for me, so I usually just skimmed through those parts. I liked the absurdity of the book, in particular Elizabeth Bennet’s visit to Charlotte and Mr. Collins, definitely kept me giggling. It takes a classic to a whole new level, a funny, quirky new level. 

My grade for Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: